email series
Perfect Pound Cake
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.
Elegant and simple, this rich and buttery pound cake is like the little black dress of dessert.
Pound cake is like the little black dress of dessert.  It’s elegant in its simplicity; you can dress it up or down; and it’s wonderful anytime, anywhere. My all-time favorite recipe comes from The Cake Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum, a classic and essential cookbook for all bakers. While most traditional pound cake recipes call for equal weights of flour, sugar, eggs, and butter, Rose’s recipe incorporates milk, lots of extra butter, and a little baking powder.
The result is a rich and buttery yet fluffy pound cake that melts in your mouth. Rose writes: “This cake not only has a silky-smooth dissolving texture similar to famous Sara Lee pound cake but also the incomparable moist, butter flavor of a home-baked cake. It’s excellent keeping qualities make it ideal for slicing ahead and bringing on picnics.”
What you’ll need to make pound cake
How  to make pound cake
Before we get to the step-by-step instructions, a few words about the method. Pound cake is a “high-ratio” cake, which means that the weight of the sugar equals or exceeds the weight of the flour.
Why does this matter? Instead of the more common “creaming” method (where the butter and sugar are beaten together before the eggs, flour, and liquid are added), high-ratio cakes can be made using the “high-ratio” or “quick-mix” method. This involves mixing all the dry ingredients with the butter and some of the liquid first, then adding the remaining liquid ingredients. This method is not only faster and easier than the traditional creaming method, but it also yields incredibly tender and fine-textured cakes.
To begin, combine the milk, eggs, and vanilla in a medium bowl. Whisk with a fork until just combined and set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or with a hand mixer), place the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
Mix on low speed for about 30 seconds or until blended.
Add the butter and half of the egg mixture.
Mix on low speed until the dry ingredients are moistened.
Increase the mixer speed to medium (high speed if using a hand mixer) and beat for one minute.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the remaining egg mixture, in 2 separate additions, beating about 30 seconds after each addition to combine.
Be sure not to over-mix, or you’ll incorporate too much air into the batter and your pound cake won’t dome as nicely.
Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon.
Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until the cake is golden brown and a thin wooden skewer or toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
Place the cake on a wire rack to cool for about 10 minutes. Then remove the cake from the pan and cool completely on a wire rack.
Wrap the cooled cake in plastic wrap or store in a large sealable plastic bag. The wrapped pound cake will keep for several days at room temperature, for one week when refrigerated, or it can be frozen for two months. Enjoy!
You may also like
Perfect Pound Cake
Elegant and simple, this rich and buttery pound cake is like the little black dress of dessert.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons milk (skim, low fat, or whole)
- 3 large eggs
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1⅓ cups cake flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled with a straight edge
- ¾ cup sugar
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 13 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened (no need to cut it in pieces)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and set an oven rack in the middle position. Lightly grease an 8-in x 4-in x 2½-inch loaf pan with butter or nonstick cooking spray. Dust with flour, shaking off any excess. (Alternatively, use a nonstick cooking spray with flour in it, such as Baker’s Joy or Pam Baking Spray with Flour.)
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, and vanilla until just combined.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or with a hand mixer), place the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Mix on low speed for about 30 seconds or until blended. Add the butter and half of the egg mixture. Mix on low speed until the dry ingredients are moistened. Increase the mixer speed to medium (high speed if using a hand mixer) and beat for one minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the remaining egg mixture, in 2 separate additions, beating about 30 seconds after each addition to combine. Do not over-mix. (The batter may have a slightly curdled or grainy appearance -- that's okay.)
- Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until the cake is golden brown and a thin wooden skewer or toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Place the cake on a wire rack to cool for about 10 minutes. Then remove the cake from the pan and cool completely on a wire rack. Wrap the cooled cake in plastic wrap or store in a large sealable plastic bag.
- The wrapped pound cake will keep for several days at room temperature, for one week when refrigerated.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The cake can be frozen for up to 3 months. After it is completely cooled, double-wrap it securely with aluminum foil or plastic freezer wrap, or place it in a heavy-duty freezer bag. Thaw overnight on the countertop before serving.
Nutrition Information
Powered by 
- Per serving (8 servings)
- Serving size: 1 slice
- Calories: 339
- Fat: 21 g
- Saturated fat: 13 g
- Carbohydrates: 34 g
- Sugar: 19 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Sodium: 139 mg
- Cholesterol: 120 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
See more recipes:
Comments
Add a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
I made this with AP flour and it was still very moist. I bet cake flour would be even better, but everyone raved it was excellent. My 9-yr-old even said, any recipe from Jenn Segal is amazing. He knows that’s my go to (we have your book) and the blog of course. Thank you for sharing your wonderful tried and true recipes.
Added 1/2 teaspoon each of cinnamon, ginger and cloves. Turned out wonderfully and has a light spice taste.
Jenn is blessed! Everything I bake using her recipes turns out perfect…..everything……everytime……intend to get her books…..
She deserves the support.
💗
Can I make a lamb mold with this recipe? If so temperature. Same? Any other Tips? Thank you!
Kathy c.
Hi Kathy, I think I’m weighing in too late to help but I wouldn’t recommend it as I’m concerned that it would stick to the pan — sorry!
Made a double batch of this recipe and it turned out great, reduced the sugar to 2 1/4c and baked for 40 mins.